Ongoing History: The day Rage Against the Machine almost shut down the NY Stock Exchange

February 22, 2024 Alan Cross 0 Comments

This is how you make a point. In January 2000, Rage Against the Machine hired film director Michael Moore to help create a music video for the song “Sleep Now in the Fire.” The idea was to play in Lower Manhattan near the New York Stock Exchange.

They got a permit to shoot video but couldn’t use audio. Nevertheless, the band played six takes before the cops pulled the plug on the amps. Then the band moved to an area where they didn’t have a permit to play. The cops moved in, but the band pushed back.

Accounts say that Rage got past the first set of doors leading to the Stock Exchange, something that triggered a security lockdown. Trading didn’t stop but it sure gave all the capitalists a big scare that day.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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